New Delhi: The Gujarat Assembly Polls will be held in two phases on December 1 and 5, while the results will be declared on December 8, as announced by the Election Commission of India on Thursday. 89 out of the total 182 seats in the Legislative Assembly will go for polls in the first phase, while the remaining 93 will hold the polls in the second phase.
The elections will be carried in over 51,000 polling stations out of which around 34,000 are set up in rural areas. More than 4.9 crore electors are eligible to vote in the Gujarat polls this year.
During the conference held by the poll panel today, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that the announcement of the poll schedule was delayed because of the recent Morbi bridge collapse tragedy in Gujarat that took a toll on 134 lives. He also expressed condolences to the victims.
The poll schedule announcement brought the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) into immediate effect in the state of Gujarat. Singh, during the conference, gave a brief account of what shall be expected from the political parties in the state under the Model Code of Conduct until the term of the Gujarat Assembly Elections ends on February 18, 2023.
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He also assured that the Commission has made elaborate arrangements for ensuring the effective implementation of MCC Guidelines and that any violation of these guidelines would be strictly dealt with. He further said that the political parties, contesting candidates and their agents/representatives, are strongly advised to avoid any misgivings or lack of information, or inadequate interpretation. He also informed that the center has deployed 160 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces ahead of the polls. The vigilance on the spread of fake news and improper use of social media will also be beefed up, he said.
The assembly elections, with a crucial role in shaping the dynamics of the political scenario in the entire country, will see a contest between three chief political parties - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The center-ruling BJP has been in power in Gujarat for two decades and holds dominance in the state which is home to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. In the 2017 elections, the BJP bagged 99 seats, while the Congress won 77.
